Ship&#39;s-table guard or fiddle.



N. F. RAMSAY.

smP's TABLE GUARD 0R FIDDLE.

APPLICATION FILED FEBfH. I915.

Patented May 11, 1915.

W/ TNESSES.

NORMAN FREDERICK RAMSAY, OF NEWCASTLE-UPON-TYNE, ENGLAND.

SHIPS-TABLE GUARD OR FIDDLE.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented May 11, 1915.

Application filed February 17, 1915. Serial No. 8,892.

To all whom it may concern Be it known that I, NORMAN FREDERICK RAMSAY, a subject of the King of Great Britain and Ireland, residing at Charlotte Square, Newcastle-upon-Tyne, England, have invented Improvements in or Relating to Ships-Table Guards or Fiddles, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to that kind of means for retaining a guard or fiddle member to a ships table which comprises fittings adapted to permit a rail to be retained in relation to the edge of a table so that when out of use it does not project above such edge but which, when it is to be used, can be raised and held elevated so as to constitute a fence. In fittings of the kind referred to, two sets of supporting devices are mounted upon a vertical pivot carried by the rail so that they are disposed at different levels, the arrangement being such that the upper set can be brought into use to support the rail flush with the table while the lower set can be brought into use after the rail has been heightened. The pivot pin affords a convenient means for automatically causing one set to be brought into use as the other set is moved to remain out of use. As heretofore constructed, the upper supporting devices have taken the form of fingers the same as or similar to fingers constituting the lower supporting devices and have furthermore been disposed above the level of the rail.

The object of the present invention is to generally improve such an arrangement, to which end the upper supporting device is formed as a hook shorter than a lower supporting finger and adapted to co-act with a socket upon the table, both the upper and lower supporting devices being alternately completely housed in the fiddle rail. In this way not only are the upper supporting de vices completely safeguarded against accidental manipulation while the rail is held elevated, but the arrangement furthermore permits of a perfectly flush surface being obtained when the fiddle is out of use, the feature of making the lower supporting fingers longer than the upper hooks avoiding the necessity of such fingers entering the sockets in the table top when the fiddle is in use, so that at no time can the means detract from the appearance of, or be harmful to, a table cloth laid upon the table.

One way of carrying the invention into effect is illustrated by way of example in the accompanylng drawings, whereof- F igure 1 is a transverse section through a companion pair of fittings, Fig. 2 being a rear elevation of one thereof alone. Fig. 3 is a perspective view of a part of a rail showing one of its fittings in the position which it occupies while the rail is supported out of use as in Fig. 1. Fig. A is a perspective view of the companion table socket. Fig. 5 is a perspective view of the same rail part showing the fitting in the position which it occupies when the rail is elevated and in use after the cloth has been laid. Fig. 6 is a perspective view of a table top and rail complete, the latter being in use.

Referring to the said drawings, 1 represent metal plates let into the rail 2 each having near its upper edge a slot 4 conforming to the shape of a hook 5 and near its lower edge a straight slot 6 conforming to the shape of a supporting finger 7, the latter being longer than the hook. The hook 5 and finger 7 are secured to opposite ends of a pin 8 working in bearings 9 attached to the rear of the plate 1. The sockets to receive the hooks 5 are shown at 10 and may be of metal let into the edge 11 of the table,

each'such socket having a low wall, such as a bar 12 behind which the hook drops, as shown in Fig. 1. After the rail 2 has been lifted up the table cloth 13 can be laid upon the table, the hooks 5 being then housed and the fingers 7 projected, so that on again lowering the rail saidfingers rest upon the cloth just above the sockets and hold the rail in elevated position. As will be understood the details may be varied, the sockets being made in the table top if preferred.

hat I claim is 1. Means for securing a guard or fiddle to a ships table, comprising a socket adapted to be let in the upper edge of the table and, in association with the guard, supporting devices of different lengths and occupying positions one above the other, the upper supporting device being arranged to enter the socket and the lower supporting device to rest above the socket without entering it.

Means for securing a guard or fiddle to a ships table, comprising a socket adapted to be let into the upper edge of the table and, in association with the guard, supporting devices of difierent lengths adapted to be housed in the guard and occupying positions one above the other, the upper supporting device being arranged to enter the socket and the lower supporting device to rest above the socket without entering it.

3. Means for securing a guard or fiddle to a ships table, comprising a socket adapted to be let into the upper edge of the table and having a low front wall, and, in association with the guard, a pivotal supporting hook adapted to enter the socket and en gage the low Wall thereof and a pivotal supporting finger of greater length than the hook adapted to rest above the top of the socket, the hook occupying a position above the finger.

4. In means forsecuring a guard or fiddle to a ships table, the combination with a rail, of a slotted plate adapted to be let in flush with the rail, a vertical pivot pin arranged behind such plate and supporting devices of different lengths secured to such pivot pin near opposite ends thereof, the ppeisupporting device being shorter than the lower and adapted to be projected through the slotted plate while the other recedes into the rail through the plate and vice versa.

5. In means for securing a guard or fiddle to a ships table, the combination with a rail, of a slotted plate adapted to be let in flush with the rail, a vertical pivot pin arranged behind such plate, a hook secured to the pivot pin near its upper end and a finger of greater length than the hook secured to the pivot pin near its lower end, the said hook and finger being adapted to be alternately housed in the rail by passage through the slotted plate.

6, In means for securing a guard or fid- L'e .to a ships table, a table socket comprising a rear Wall extending downwardly from the level of the table top anda front wall reaching to a point short of the level of the table top.

\ Signed at Newcastle-on-Tyne this third day of ebruary 1915 I NORMAN FREDERICK RAMSAY.

WVitnesses ALFRED VVILsoN, A. W'ALroN.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the O'ommissioner of Patents. v Washington, D. C. 

